Colorado lawmakers propose "Ready to Work" jobs package

Bills include strong computer curriculum

Republicans and Democrats in the Colorado legislature are working together on a package of bills they say will create good-paying job opportunities for young people, veterans and the long-term unemployed.

The proposals, overall, aim at building a more direct bridge between employees and jobs by getting employers more involved in educating a potential workforce, legislators said.

The 10 bills, collectively called the Ready to Work Package, include tax credits for businesses that provide apprenticeships, an expansion of the computer science curriculum for public schools, bonuses for school districts that provide "rigorous workplace training" to meet industry needs and other job-training initiatives.

House Democratic leader Crisanta Duran of Denver said the average salary for a computer-programming job in Colorado is more than $92,000 a year, yet the state has an estimated 16,000 open jobs in that arena, nearly three times the national average.

"But only 1 in 4 Colorado high schools teach computer programming," she said. "In the 21st century computer literacy is a ticket to success. Let's make sure every Colorado student has a chance to punch that ticket."

Senate Republican leader Mark Scheffel of Parker said strengthening the partnerships between business and education would serve more than those who fall along the traditional path of high school to a four-year college.

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"The goal is to provide better tools and expanded experience and training programs for students as they confront a changing economy and a constantly changing mix of possible careers," he said. "... We want to help bridge that gap between dreams and opportunities for our youth."

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